The present invention relates to a package particularly but not exclusively for packaging food products.
As is known, candies are currently usually packaged in sticks with a double package: an outer one and an inner one.
The outer package can be tubular or shaped like a parallelepiped and is normally constituted by a lamination of paper and aluminum (i.e., composed of individual films of paper and aluminum that are mutually coupled by lamination), in which the edges are made to overlap (by means of folds or contoured portions) and heat-sealed (by means of inside-to-outside thermal bonding) and the end edges are folded and heat-sealed, or in which the edges, including the end edges, are subjected to inside-to-inside thermal bonding and then folded and heat-sealed.
The heat seals are provided in various manners by way of thermal bonding lacquers, waxes or others.
In any case, the following performance is generally required:
good fold retention in order to facilitate closure;
structural rigidity in order to produce the shape;
tearability in order to facilitate opening;
good heat-sealing strength.
For the internal package, which is provided for each individual candy, typically a single film (biaxially oriented polypropylene, cellophane or others) or paper (waxed paper or paper subjected to other treatments) is used instead, but in some cases paper/aluminum laminations are also used.
Currently, the market shows an increasing demand for packaged candies arranged loosely in containers made of light cardboard that is coated internally with polythene and is wrapped externally and sealed with a cellophane film (in a cigarette-like fashion).
However, this type of packaging is unsuitable for milk-based candies or candies manufactured with ingredients that are easily perishable or can easy adhere to each other when they are in contact.
For these candies, the trend is to maintain the conventional stick-like shape, although an attempt is made to provide the longitudinal and end closures by mating the edges in an inside-to-inside fashion and heat-sealing, instead of resorting to folding with inside-to-outside mating and corresponding heat-sealing with thermal bonding lacquer or wax.
Since the inside-to-inside heat-seal is continuous, it should ensure full closure of the tubular element, providing barrier conditions that reduce the inflow of oxygen and water valor or the outflow of aromas.
However, difficulties in disposing and recycling laminates manufactured with aluminum films, the increasing sensitivity of consumers to these problems, and the dissuasive measures taken in some countries against the use of laminates with aluminum films, as well as cost saving, are leading to forced replacement of conventional packages that contain aluminum.